Whether in Schwerin, Hamburg or Frankfurt: the suppliers are increasing electricity prices significantly, sometimes even doubling them.

Expenditure on electricity is increasing significantly in many parts of Germany.

Even with the planned electricity price brake, the electricity price from January onwards is likely to be higher than in previous years.

Jan Hauser

Editor in Business.

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The utility Hamburg Energie states that it has so far absorbed the increased energy costs for its customers thanks to long-term energy purchases.

But at the turn of the year, the price of electricity must now rise.

Since mid-2021, energy prices on the trading platforms have risen by 650 percent for electricity and 600 percent for gas, and surcharges and network fees have also increased.

The East German utility Enviam points out that the suspension of the EEG surcharge in the middle of the year has temporarily reduced the level of electricity prices in the second half of the year.

"However, the current, ever-increasing market prices have simply eaten up this advantage," says Sales Director Andreas Auerbach.

“Just a year ago, in everyday life, little was given to a product as natural as electricity.

Enviam usually raises the electricity price for around 600,000 customers in Brandenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia in January by around 20 cents to around 48 cents per kilowatt hour.

The utility Hamburg Energie, which has 150,000 electricity customers, increased the standard green electricity tariff at the turn of the year from almost 31 cents to around 50 cents per kilowatt hour.

Stadtwerke Schwerin will double the price next year for almost 50,000 customers in the Schwerin grid company and increase it from 26 cents per kilowatt hour to around 54 cents.

12 million households in the basic tariff

An increase of around 20 cents per kilowatt hour leads to additional costs of around 300 euros per year for a single household with a consumption of 1500 kilowatt hours.

For a family with a consumption of 5000 kilowatt hours it can be up to 1000 euros more.

Stadtwerke München is also doubling the price of electricity: for a two-person household with a consumption of 2500 kilowatt hours, it should cost 1676 euros per year from January instead of the previous 753 euros – an increase of 923 euros.

"Should anyone have difficulties paying the electricity bill, we ask that you contact us as soon as possible," said customer service manager Stefan Tauber.

Then a solution should be found so that the apartment does not get dark.

The increases are already part of the trend in the energy industry, as also shown by evaluations of comparison portals.

Verivox counts 138 price increases from local electricity suppliers for November, December and January, averaging 53 percent.

The average basic supply tariffs were recently slightly below 37 cents per kilowatt hour.

According to the Federal Network Agency, every fourth household is in this tariff, which accounts for around 12 million households.

Many existing customers are currently below the threshold for the electricity price brake of 40 cents per kilowatt hour.

"So we expect significantly increasing prices at the turn of the year," it says.

Suppliers must announce price increases six weeks in advance.

The deadline for increases at the turn of the year is November 20th.

What electricity will cost from January is now becoming clear.